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CSU Theatre and Dance Season Begins with World Premiere Performances

Posted on September 11, 2017 at 11:02 AM, updated September 12, 2017 at 8:48 AM Print

GroundWorks DanceTheater debuts new works by David Shimotakahara & Amy Miller

GroundWorks DanceTheater, a resident company of Cleveland State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance, will open CSU’s 2017-18 performance season with a return to the company’s artistic roots. The dance showcase will feature world premieres created by GroundWorks’ founding artistic director David Shimotakahara and founding company member Amy Miller, as well as the reprisal of an audience favorite paying homage to one of jazz’s greats.

The performances will be held October 13 and 14 at 7:30 pm in the Allen Theatre at Playhouse Square. Ticket information can be found at www.groundworksdance.org or by calling 216.751.0088.

“CSU is extraordinarily lucky to have a dance company of GroundWorks’ caliber in residence at the University,” says Lynn Deering, Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance at CSU. “Our students have the opportunity to learn from and perform with some of the top modern dancers and choreographers in the nation, while making important connections that will help jumpstart their own performance careers. We are honored to feature GroundWorks in our debut show of the season, and always look forward to see what they do next.”

Amy Miller, a founding member of GroundWorks, will present her 12th original piece for the company. Past works include Way Leads to Way (2013), Current Frame (2012), and Valence (2009), a collaboration with Oberlin College professor and composer Peter Swendsen. Miller currently serves as associate artistic director and senior company director with Gibney Dance in New York.

GroundWorks artistic director David Shimotakahara will debut his 40th new work for the company, referencing the American Gothic genre as well as imagery and narrative from traditional American folk culture. Prior to founding DanceWorks, Shimotakahara performed with the Atlanta Ballet, the Kathryn Posin Dance Company and the Ohio Ballet.

GroundWorks is also delighted to bring back one of the company’s signature works, Brubeck, Shimotakahara’s tribute to the music of American jazz legend Dave Brubeck. An audience favorite, Brubeck explores the complex rhythms and tonalities of such classics as Blue Rondo a la Turk, Square Dance and Take Five as well as the lush melodies of Dave Brubeck’s brilliant collaborator Paul Desmond.

Celebrating its 19th season, GroundWorks DanceTheater is dedicated to the development and presentation of new choreography and collaborations. The Northeast Ohio-based company performs new and commissioned works by nationally and internationally acclaimed choreographers including Eric Michael Handman, Rosie Herrera, Kate Weare, and Robert Moses, among others. GroundWorks is also committed to creating opportunities for engaging the community through work-in-progress showings, master classes, and educational outreach to school children, college students and senior adults.